I would love to add lockers…but I don’t have a Mudroom.
I can help you with that! Welcome to Part II of my series of How To Create the Perfect Locker.
When you are designing a mudroom locker, here are some things to keep in mind:
Have a Spot for Everything: Use baskets for shoes. Use a different basket or bin for items like mittens and hats. Then it is more likely items will go where they are supposed to!
Assign Spots to Everyone: Ideally each person should be assigned their own locker where their gear all stays together. If that isn’t possible, I would suggest assigning each person a hook. Even better: stack two hooks above each other-one up high for coats and one lower for backpacks for double storage.
Add a Door: If you checked out PART I of my post, I always suggest putting a door on a locker if possible. The insides of a locker can get messier than you can imagine…it is SO nice to just close a door to the chaos and forget about it. But sometimes that isn’t possible, so I recommend adding in things like baskets to help corral messes.
Think vertical: Always take advantage of that vertical space! If your lockers go to the ceiling, you can add multiple layers of storage, such as several shelves for out-of-season storage.
And Now: 4 Rooms You Can Turn into a Mudroom
Turn a Hallway Into a Mudroom (Or Another Skinny Space)
Ideally a locker should be about 12″-18″ deep to allow for coats, bags, and backpacks. But what if you don’t HAVE 18″ to add lockers? Sometimes you just have to make do! I adore this idea of “skinny lockers”, as shallow as 6″ with hooks and a super shallow bench with some extra storage (turn those baskets sideways to fit under). This is perfect for a hallway or any place you are squeezed for every inch. If you are trying to add lockers into a hallway, I would still leave a minimum of 30″ of travel space (most hallways are 36″ wide). And like always, make the use of every inch of your vertical space, taking your lockers all the way to the ceiling!
If you have a touch more space, like 9-12″ inches, you can easily fit in baskets for extra hidden storage:
Turn a Closet Into a Mudroom
So many front hall closets become so stuffed with items that it becomes an chaotic mess. Especially if you have a family, multiple people’s things are being crammed into the same space with no rhyme or reason…no wonder little Suzie can’t find her coat! The beauty with lockers is they keep things separate and organized.
This super simple DIY project involves removing the doors of your closet (which are typically 24″ deep). Then add in a bench, hooks, and shelves for a more organized system. I suggest assigning a hook and a basket to each family member if possible.
If you have open lockers (with no doors), I would absolutely suggest using baskets to not only corral items, but keep items hidden away for a more streamlined look. You don’t want to always be tidying up your lockers before guests come!
Turn the Garage Into a Mudroom
What if you have NO extra places to add lockers in your house? Or it’s in the wrong spot? If at all possible, you want your lockers near the door you use most…for most people that is their garage door. The last thing you want is for kids to be stomping through your entire house with muddy boots to their lockers at the front of the house. Furthermore, kids tend to drop things on the floor the first chance they get!
So why not use the garage as a Mudroom? Bonus: those muddy boots never make it into the house! If you do lockers in your garage, this is a good place to save money by using a simpler, more rustic materials. You could use MDF or plywood (painted or unpainted) for a hundred dollars of materials. These are a bit fancier…and I love how there is a locker for each family member.
These lockers are beautiful enough to go inside the house but the garage is the perfect spot for them! It is nice to add a rug such as this to not only keep dirt from getting in the house, but keeping bare feet warm in cold climates. (I live in Michigan!)
Turn the Back Entry Into a Mudroom
I recently completed a Real Postbox Project for this family of four. She had some extra space in her back entry but it was not efficient which lead to a less-than-organized space. She had this deep bench (which shoes promptly got lost in) and this closet. The closet was jammed packed and everyone’s items got mixed up inside. So I re-worked her back hallway into a better solution. We removed her bench AND her closet:
And that freed up space for four skinny lockers (with doors), so each family member got their own private space. If you want to see even more of this space, tour the rest of it HERE
And there was room leftover across from the lockers for this bench area. We crammed even more storage under the bench for shoes. Take advantage of blank wall space with artwork, a mirror, and extra hooks for guest storage. If you want to find even more tips for creating the Perfect Mudroom area, find it all HERE
DIY Budget Friendly Mudroom
If custom lockers aren’t in your budget, you can still create an uber-organized space with a super simple DIY solution. As part of my Recent 30 Day Design Challenge, Day 2 was how to create a Mini Mudroom, check out all of the details and sources HERE
I’m a Type A girl and lover of having organized solutions through out my home! So whether or not you have an actual Mudroom, you can create a Mini Mudroom out of these four rooms of your home. Find loads more foyer and mudroom ideas over on my Pinterest and get started on planning your lockers.
And finally, I have something fun to announce! I have created a new FREE RESOURCE LIBRARY that is chock full of Design Freebies for you! Think free Guides, Shopping Lists, Mood Boards, and more. You can get free 24/7 access to it (and I’m always adding to it!) by clicking below:
Or let me know your design or decor questions (Mudroom or not) over on Facebook and I’ll answer them for you!
Ivory says
9MG, girl I can kiss you, LOL! You have no idea how badly I needed to know this. I plan today to start putting this wonderful helpful information to good use. From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!
PostboxDesigns says
Ha, I love it too then-that is SOOO great!!! I’m so happy it could help you out! 🙂